STDs and Menopause: What Every Woman Should Know

During menopause your body is going through a lot of changes. Most of these changes are caused by fluctuating levels of hormones experienced throughout this period. Hormones are vital to you and your body: they help to regulate lots of the body’s functions by acting as chemical messengers inside the body.

When one part of the body wants to communicate with another it releases hormones. It’s this system that alerts you that you are hungry, tired, or in pain. During menopause the changing hormone levels in your body can cause side effects, many of which are unpleasant. However, some can lead to a sense of freedom.

Postmenopause, your body becomes infertile, which means freedom from periods and freedom from using contraception. However, this freedom can come with its own pitfalls: read on to learn more about vaginal dryness issues along with the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

The Great Liberation

The stereotype of the post-menopausal woman can be unfair. It is unreasonable to label all post-menopausal women as washed-up, barren, useless, and unloved.

Some postmenopausal women may be young, having experienced early menopause, while others enter these years unattached from family life. Both are safe in the knowledge that they are able to enter relationships free from the worry of falling pregnant. However, for the single postmenopausal womanfrequent sexual encounters with strangers, although liberating, may increase the risk of contracting an STD. Read on to learn more about STDs.

STDs: the Invisible Killers

Painless, invisible and often symptomless, some STDs can appear harmless. Infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, syphilis, HPV and even HIV can affect a woman and show no symptoms; however, they can wreak havoc on her body causing infertility and even death.

If you frequently have sexual relationships with different partners you should have regular STD exams to make sure you’re clear of any nasty infections. Reducing the risk of contracting such diseases in the first place is also of great importance. Read on to learn about how you can reduce the risk of contracting STDs.

Avoidance Measures

Although it may be difficult to resist your new found freedom, you should always approach sex with a new partner with caution. Get to know your partner fully first, and don’t be afraid to approach the subject of STDs openly. This will give you a better understanding of your sexual partner and offer an accurate assessment of whether you are likely to contract an STD from this person.

You may also want to broaden your horizons a little: there are alternatives to penetrative intercourse. You could try extended rubbing or stroking, or mutual masturbation. You may even want to revert to using condoms: after all they are a dual purpose item, which not only prevent pregnancy but also stop the spread of STDs.